


His Son

by GabrielsGumdropGirl (Sammys_Sunshine)



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Nephilim
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-06-26 09:07:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19765027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sammys_Sunshine/pseuds/GabrielsGumdropGirl
Summary: 8 years ago, a Nephilim was born... now, past and present are colliding in the most unexpected way.





	His Son

_**Eight years ago...** _

  
_I'd had a whole evening planned out to tell him. The world was already going to Hell, so having a Nephilim wouldn't make a difference, would it? But, everything had gone so wrong so fast._

  
_Bowls of candy had been laid out, candles on every surface, and Gabriel's favorite music in the stereo._

  
_I waited, and waited, and waited._

  
_Gabriel never knocked, literally popped in whenever he wanted, so when the knock came at the door, I knew that something was wrong. Sam and Dean stood on the porch, looking crestfallen and not saying a word. I invited them in and waited for what they had to say._

  
_"Gabriel's gone," Sam said it so quietly I almost didn't hear him. "Lucifer killed him. I'm sorry."_

  
_I don't remember anything but feeling numb as the words sunk in. My soul mate, my best friend and the father of the half angelic child growing inside me. I got up, and picked up the wrapped box, opened it and held the test in my hands, with a single tear rolling down my face._

  
_Sam and Dean were clearly surprised, but they stayed. They didn't believe that our child had to die because of its parents, and kept it a secret from Cas. I made them promise that if I didn't make it, that they would take care of it for me. Dean was reluctant but Sam had no issue. Warding was promptly put up around the house to block out demons and angels alike, including Castiel._

  
_In the end, I was left alone. Like every mother who gives birth to a Nephilim, I'd died. But, being who I was, God had brought me back. I was needed more on Earth than as another soul in Heaven. Mine and Gabriel's son was not going to be left without both parents after all. But, we were constantly on the run from angels and demons alike. We were hunted by monsters of all kinds, wanting to win favors with Heaven or Hell if we were caught. I named mine and Gabriel's son Eli, knowing it was a name that Gabriel would've approved._

  
**_Present:_ **

  
"Eli!" I yell, wondering where the hell he had disappeared to. We've finished off a haunted house that had more than one spirit haunting it and had to dig an enormous hole where the bodies were buried. Poor things were victims of a serial killer and pissed off that the house was being torn down. "Eli come on!"

  
I'm standing outside, my hands on my hips, waiting for my son to come outside. He was eyeballing the treasures that had been left behind, and nothing I said would convince him to leave any of it behind. He finally comes out, his bright eyes shining in the moonlight. Standing at six foot even, he towers over my five foot five frame. His smirk is triumphant as he lifts his bag of treasures up.

  
"Sorry, mom. Couldn't help it."

  
Eli trots down the stairs and crushes me in a hug.

  
"You never can, you big moose."

  
We're walking around from the back of the house to the front when I hear the oh so familiar rumble of the infamous Winchester Impala.

  
"Stay," I tell Eli, and for once, he listens.

  
Sam and Dean exit the car, both looking much larger than I remember. When they catch sight of me, somewhat hanging in the shadows, they look to each other and then back at me.

"(Y/n)?" Sam calls out. "Is that you?"

  
I lift the bottom of my shirt up, showing them the black and purple anti-possession tattoo on my hip and fully step out into the moonlight.

  
"It's me. Good to see you guys. _Alive_ , I might add."

  
Dean accidentally breaks the gate down in his eagerness to get to me, giving Sam the chance to get to me first. I'm crushed and lifted up against Sam's chest, wrapping my arms around him too. There's a slight scuffle as Dean pulls me free from Sam and squeezes what little air I had left in my lungs out.

  
"What are you guys doing here?" I ask after catching my breath. "We- I've got this place taken care of."

  
"You said we," Sam points out. "Got a partner?"

  
I turn and motion for Eli to come out of the shadows. "Sort of," I reply. "He's been with me for the past eight years."

  
Eli looks just like his dad, only taller and it doesn't take long for Sam and Dean to do the math and connect the dots. Their eyes are wide as Eli comes to stand next to me, looming protectively.

  
"Eli, Sam and Dean Winchester. Sam, Dean, my son Eli."

  
Eli sticks his hand out, shaking their hands while coolly assessing them.

  
"You helped my mom after dad died."

  
They nod, faces slightly pale as they look at the boy who could be Gabriel's ghost.

  
"We should probably take this somewhere else," Dean suggests. "We've got a place not too far from here. It's safe and secure. I can't believe we've found you after all these years."

  
"Lead the way. We'll follow."

  
Our motel room had already been packed before we came on the hunt, ready to hit the road as soon as we were done. Eli is quiet as we follow the Impala, most likely brimming with questions about Gabriel. I've answered all of them, and he's heard every story many, many times. He doesn't say anything the whole way there, but every once in awhile, I'll see him look over at me before looking back to the moonlit scenery outside.

  
The almost abandoned road is a little creepy, but if Sam and Dean have a safe place to stay that's off the beaten path, let the creepiness commence to keep people away.   
Eli sits up a little higher as we pull into the garage behind the Impala, his eyes widening with admiration as he gazes at the cars surrounding us.

  
"Did you know about this place?"

  
"I haven't seen them Sam died. Dean disappeared after. You know the story."

  
Eli nods and then takes no time at all climbing out of the car to examine the nearest classic machine close to him.

  
Dean smirks as he walks up.

  
"Good kid. Likes cars."

  
"Takes after his adopted uncle."

  
Eli runs from car to car while Sam, Dean and I watch with amusement. His cheeks are flushed and his eyes are lit up by the time he's done, practically vibrating with his excitement. Needless to say, he's more than eager to see the rest of the place. He grabs his bag out of the trunk of the car, right on Dean's heels as they go inside the main part of the bunker. Sam hauls our extras while I haul mine, keeping step for step with me.

  
"Have you seen anyone since..?"

"No. Just been me and Eli."

  
Sam's shyness making me grin, and the conversation I know he's wanting to have is postponed after we enter the bunker. I'm blown away at the place, and spend the next few hours being showed around. Dean proudly feeds us his homemade burgers, with Eli devouring most of them. He's quite disappointed when I tell him that he's not old enough to have a beer, and a stern look at Dean shuts him up too.

  
It's been a long day, and I try to hide my tiredness but the yawn escapes me before I can stop it. Sam shows us to our rooms; Eli's is across the hall from mine, and between Sam and Dean's. Eli gives me a hug goodnight, nods to Sam and closes his door. It's been a while since he's had his own bed and privacy, so I'm sure he's going to take advantage of it as much as he can before we leave.

  
"Uh, look, about earlier. I... I was wondering if you'd want to go on a date with me. Just as friends or... or more if you want. Catch up."

  
It's been eight years. Gabriel's not coming back. We're both grown-ups. So, why not?

  
"Okay. Give us a few days to get settled in. And then we'll go, okay?"

  
Sam grins and leans down to give me a kiss on the cheek. I close my door after he's gone into his room, and sleep better than I have in ages.

  
~

  
Eli has adjusted well, already making it clear that if he doesn't have to leave, he's not going to. I feel the same way, with Sam and Dean both taking it in stride like us moving in was always meant to be. Dean drops hints that poke fun at Sam and I going on our date, but we shrug it off. I'm nervous of course because I haven't been on a date since Gabriel if anything we ever did could even be counted as one.

  
"Are you okay with this?"

  
Eli and I are playing Black Ops three on the Playstation, whooping the other team's ass on Team Deathmatch. He's in Dean's chair, leaning forward with a look of determination on his face and his elbows on his knees.

  
"It's not like I knew my dad so it's not like Sam is trying to replace him. Not like a human can replace an archangel anyway. Go. Have fun, mom. You deserve it."

  
The match ends, and since I'm moving too slow for Eli's liking, he turns to fully face me and makes a 'shooing' motion with both of his hands.

  
I don't have a lot of nice clothes; being a hunter is too grimy of a job half the time to keep them around so a nice t-shirt and jeans will have to do. Sam's taking me on a date, so I don't think he'll mind what I'm wearing.

  
We take my car, but Sam drives. I said nothing fancy, and with living in this area for so long, Sam knows exactly where to go. I've always loved burgers and shakes, and the joint that I'm taken to boasts to have the best of both. They're not the best, but good enough for our date.

  
"So, Sam, what have you and Dean been up to all these years?"

  
Sam takes a deep breath and then rehashes every single detail of everything that he and Dean have gone through since Sam had come back from Hell. He mentions a few times that they'd looked for me and Eli throughout the years, but there was a never even a whisper through the hunter grapevine about us. Cas had heard things from Heaven and the demon King Crowley had kept tabs on us before his untimely death, but neither of them made a move to come after us. I guess there was something to be said about going after the offspring of an archangel.

  
"And now for the interesting part. Eli isn't the only one."

  
The fry I was going to put in my mouth drops from my hand.

  
"There's another Nephilim?"

  
Sam nods his head, laughing a little.

  
"His name is Jack and he's the son of Lucifer. His birth opened up a rift into another world, and he ended up getting stuck over there with our mom. Who's alive too, by the way. So, now we're trying to get them both back."

  
It's a lot of information in a small amount of time, but Sam is quiet while I process it all. He pays for dinner, despite my protests, and holds my hand to the car and all the way back to the bunker. Eli and Dean are in the man cave, so we leave them undisturbed for bonding time. I love the library, so we head there to talk.

  
"Does he ever use his powers?"

  
"No. Not unless we're on a hunt and one of us needs help. Keeps us off the radar, you know?"

  
Sam and I make small talk, swapping hunter stories and talking about people that we miss. Eli and Dean eventually join us, with Eli listening intently to everything that the elder hunters had to share. A flap of wings interrupts us, putting Eli and me in immediate defense mode. Castiel's blue eyes meet mine, and a flash of recognition goes through them.

  
"(Y/n)?" His gravelly voiced hasn't changed as he says my name but then his curiosity turns from me to Eli. "You must be the other Nephilim." Cas tilts his head, squinting a bit. "Gabriel's son."

  
It's evident that Eli is feeling threatened, so it doesn't come as a surprise when his eyes light up and his wings flare out in the shadows behind him. Cas isn't one to back down from a fight, so he accepts the challenge and lets his wings loose. It isn't until an angel blade drops from Cas's sleeve that I step in and stand in front of my son.

  
"You hurt him, I'll kill you Cas. Your kind hunted us, trying to kill him for who he is. I won't let you do it either just because you're friends with Sam and Dean."

  
Dean doesn't know where to go or who to choose, but Sam comes between us and Cas, his back to us. Cas gives in and takes a step back to give Eli some space to cool down.

  
"We'll leave you three to talk," I mutter, keeping myself between Cas and Eli until we leave the library. My phone dings with a message from Garth about a hunt nearby. I show Eli and he nods, his eyes still full of fire. "We'll leave them a note."

  
We need a break, and a vampire coven is exactly what we need to clear our heads. Bags are quickly packed, and a note written for the boys is placed on the world table.

  
_Vampire hunt in Michigan._

  
Eli and I leave without being stopped and begin our long journey.

  
"Where'd they go?" Sam asks, a few minutes after we left. The rooms are empty and no one is answering Sam's shouts. He finds the note and shows Dean. "Should we follow?"

  
"Eli will keep her safe. They'll be back, Sam. We gotta get mom and Jack back."

  
~

  
Getting to Michigan and pinning down the city that the vampires are terrorizing was the easy part. Pretending to be land surveyors for new housing was also easy. Tracking the bastards down the have killed a total of five people so far? Easy. It should've been obvious that everything was a little _too easy_ and usually that spells disaster for hunters. If it's easy, someone's bound to get hurt.

  
Eli stakes the place out first, getting a good view of how many bloodsuckers there are while they slumbered in the abandoned barn. I'm going to use myself as bait, and hang out in the dive barmen and women keep disappearing from. Eli doesn't like it, but he's my backup. I watch Eli run up the small hill that provides our lookout and hiding spot, looking back over his shoulder every once in a while.

  
"There are ten vamps in all," he says, not even out of breath. "Eight men and two women."

  
After scouting the place, getting food and finding a hotel, Eli and I are ready to turn in for the night.

  
"Change of plans. We're going in during the day. It'll be too much to take them when they're strongest."

  
Eli sighs with relief.

  
"Doesn't this one feel off, though?" he asks. "Like it's almost too easy?"

  
I shrug, thinking nothing of it.

  
"Maybe it's because we've had some time off. First hunt kind of feel." The expression on his face tells me that it's not feeling that way to him. "Get some sleep. We've got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

  
Sleep doesn't come as easy as I thought. I keep going over the events of the confrontation between Cas and Eli. If the angel is so fond of the son of the devil, why did he react the way he did with Eli? Yeah, Eli felt threatened, but Cas could've just shown that he meant him no harm. I toss and I turn all night, finally giving up that I'm not going to get any sleep right around the black sky starts to turn purple and pink. Eli is up as soon as I nudge him, readying himself within minutes. The nagging in the back of my head is getting worse, but I brush it off, wanting to get this hunt done and over with as soon as we can. We fill the syringes with dead man's blood and spend a few minutes sharpening our machetes until they give off a lethal gleam in the fluorescent lighting. Packing our things, we head out to the car and leave for our destination.

  
The vampires are slowly making their way inside the old building, pushing each other around like they're frat brothers after a night of partying. We give them half an hour more before we make our way down the hill and into the barn. We sneak inside, unnoticed and part to cover more ground and to kill faster. Somehow, someone had beaten us to it.  
I meet Eli's eyes from across the barn, looking as confused as I am until his eyes widen with horror. I swing around, coming face to face with the black eyes of a demon.

  
"Hello, love. We've been looking for you."

  
With an unsettling smirk, the demon lifts his hand and backhands me, my head whipping painfully to the side. Eli roars with anger but doesn't make it far when he's blindsided by another demon. Three more joins that one, taking turns beating on Eli while the one with me grabs me by the throat and throws me into the nearest support beam. I hit hard, wheezing as I try to catch my breath. The demon pounces before I recover, swiftly landing a blow to my ribs and then to my face, busting my lip and causing blood to pour from my nose. I can hear Eli yelling for me as he fights the other demons, but can't do anything to get up.

  
"Took us years to track you down," the demon growls, continuously using my body as a punching bag for his foot. "We'll kill you first, and then hand your bastard off to the angels."

  
I can't move one of my arms, there's blood pooling around my left eye that's swollen shut from a gash on my forehead, and one of my hips feels funny.

  
Screams interrupt the demon's laugh, his nasty face contorting into one of rage. Bright white light flashes every once in a while, the barn slowly getting quieter with every demon that Eli puts down. The demon tries running, but Eli appears in front of him, his eyes glowing with the power of Heaven. His hand comes down on the demon's head, his screams soon filling the air as Eli smites him, soon dropping dead in a heap on the straw-covered ground with his eye sockets still smoldering. It's taken a lot out of the Nephilim from not being used to using so much of his powers at one time. Sweat covers his brows, and his chest heaves with exertion, but it doesn't stop him from dropping to his knees in front of me. I'm barely conscious, and it hurts to breathe. When Eli raises his hand, I stop him.

  
"Save your... energy."

  
"Does this mean I get to drive?"

  
Just like his dad, Eli uses humor to lighten the situation. I roll my good eye, but wince as I'm helped to my feet. Despite my protesting, Eli lifts me up into his arms, cradling me against his chest as he takes me outside. Grabbing the bottles of alcohol with cloth sticking out of each of them, Eli lights them with the zippo he carries around and tosses them through the door, one by one. They explode upon impact, igniting on the dry ground quickly until the whole building in engulfed in flames. I try not to react too much as Eli runs up the hill, but my broken ribs make it impossible. Every time I let out a squeak or whine, Eli apologizes. He puts me in the front seat first, but the pain from my dislocated hip burns, so I'm transferred to the backseat. I have to lay flat on my back because my left arm is broken and it's my right hip that's popped out of place. Eli tears down the gravel road, beginning our long journey back.

  
_Meanwhile, at the bunker, Gabriel has returned, is recovering and has no idea what's headed his way._

  
Fourteen hours later, we're pulling into the bunker's garage. I've been in too much pain to sleep, and being up for almost three days straight is beginning to take its toll. Eli bursts out of the car, shouting for Sam and Dean.

  
"Do you hear that?"

  
"You hearing shit again, Sam?" Dean huffs. But then, he hears it too. His and Sam's names are being called. "Is that Eli?"

  
Sam and Dean run out from the kitchen, with the Nephilim almost plowing right into them.

  
"It's mom. She's hurt."

  
Dean hollers for Cas as the two of them follow Eli out, their footsteps thundering through the bunker. They're stunned when they see my bloody and broken state, with Sam taking the initiative to gently pull me from the car and carry me inside.

  
"Take her to the library and lay her on the table," Dean instructs Sam. "I'll go get a washcloth and water until Cas shows up." Dean puts his hand on Eli's shoulder. "She'll be okay, kid. Go with Sam."

  
With my good eye I stare up at Sam, concentrating on the shades of brown his hair turns when we pass under certain lights. I hiss through my teeth as I'm laid out on the table, jerking my head around to look for Eli while Sam encourages me not to move around. A dainty redheaded woman comes nearer to my left side, and Cas appears on my right, with Dean and Eli hot on his heels. Cas presses two fingers to my forehead to heal me, albeit painfully as my hip pops back into places. I'm woozy from suddenly being able to breathe again, but my eye is still closed shut from the clotted blood. Eli sits in the chair next to the table I've been put on, smiling back at me when I sit up and grin at him. He becomes intently focused on something to my left, so I turn to see what's got his attention and that's when I see him.

  
Gabriel comes out from behind a bookshelf, burnished gold eyes wide with shock. His hair is tousled, his shirt messed up and bright red lipstick on his neck. I burst into hysterical laughter, ask, "is this a joke?" and promptly pass out.

  
Sam catches her before her head slams into the table, laying her down so she faces him. It makes it easier for the blood to be wiped off, and despite Gabriel coming back, Sam still feels protective. It's noticeable to the recovering archangel, pissing him off a little. He doesn't know the man that sits next to her, watching him with an intense look. When Gabriel steps closer, the man rises to his feet and puts himself between Gabriel and the table. At first, Gabriel assumes that the newcomer is trembling from fear, but the more he pays attention, the more he realizes it's from uncertainty. It's tense as Gabriel reaches out with what little Grace he has, wanting to get a feel for whoever this guy may be. His Grace reacts warmly as it recognizes one of his own.

  
"He looks just like you," Rowena gasps, looking from Eli to Gabriel and back. "Can't you see it?"

  
The tawny eyes, the slight curls at the base of his neck, and the shape of his face. Gabriel was staring at his mirror image, only taller.

  
"How old are you?" Gabriel asks, not quite believing what he's seeing.

  
"Technically? Eight. I've only been on Earth for that long. Had to grow up fast to protect my mom, so I've got the body of a man in his mid-twenties."

  
Gabriel quickly does the math. It was eight years ago that he'd last seen (Y/n) and right around the same time he dipped out to party with Loki.

  
"He's truly your son," Cas states, matter of factly. "(Y/n) is his mother."

  
"That can't be right," he argues. "Humans don't survive the birth."

  
"Why don't we wake the dear," Rowena suggests, "and find out ourselves?" The mischief in the witch's eyes makes Sam uneasy.

  
"Let's get her cleaned up and then we'll get the story." He hoists (Y/n) up into his arms, nodding to Eli that he's got her. "Keep an eye on them," he mutters to Dean, sending a scathing glare at Gabriel.

  
"She hooking up with Sasquatch now?" Gabriel snarls.

  
Dean raises his brows before narrowing them, his mouth set in a terse line. "Like you have any room to talk, dickhead. And it's none of your business if she is."

  
Sam's washing the last bit of blood from my face when I open my eyes and blink a few times.

  
"Hey," he says. "How are you feeling?"

  
"Much better, thanks to Cas. I'm not sure if he healed everything though because I could've sworn I saw-"

  
"You did. Gabriel's alive."

  
"How?"

  
"That's his story to tell. Like the one you're going to have to tell him because he doesn't quite believe that Eli's his son."

  
"Fucking hell."

  
Sam laughs and nods his head, his brown locks falling into his face. He looks a little sad and then shocked when I tuck his hair behind his ear and kiss his cheek.

  
"What was that for?"

  
"For the date, you took me on."

  
He kisses my forehead and then clears his throat before standing up.

  
"You ready to face him?"

  
"As I'll ever be."

  
With a sigh, I rise from the bed and follow Sam through the winding halls of the bunker, trying to concentrate on what I'm going to say to Gabriel. The day that I'd prayed for and hoped for is finally here, and everything I wanted to say to the archangel has exited my mind like it's ass was on fire. I'm stumbling around mentally, and coming up shorthanded. All too soon, we come to a stop in the library.

  
Two angels, a witch, and a hunter sit around a table... sounds like a bad joke.

  
Eli throws his arms around me, squishing me against him as he bear hugs me.

  
"I'm glad you're okay."

  
"Me too, buddy."

  
An awkward silence falls over us until Dean clears his throat.

  
"We should probably give you three some space to talk."

  
Rowena goes to argue but a pointed look from Dean has her huffing and following them out. It's obvious that Gabriel wants to watch her walk out but his amber eyes remain focused on me.

  
"Well?" he asks.

  
"You're really alive."

  
Gabriel gestures with his hands in an 'I'm here aren't I?' sort of way. There's darkness that hides behind his usual jovial manner, and I'm sure whatever he's gone through hasn't been good. I so badly want to reach out and touch his face or run my fingers through his hair as I did so long ago, but there's no telling if Gabriel even feels the same way or if he'd allow me to do it. So, I rein in my emotions and opt to sit in front of him across the table with Eli on my right.

  
"What happened to you?"

  
His jaw clenches and his nostrils flare in irritation before he inhales deeply, letting the breath go a few seconds later. "We'll get to that later." His gaze flickers in Eli's direction for a second before coming back to me. "How do I know _you're_ real? No one survives giving birth to a Nephilim. But, here you are."

  
I take his suspicion in stride, knowing that whatever he went through has made him this way. I extend my hand in front of me, laying it palm up on the table, offering it to him so he can see for himself through my memories that not only am I real, but Eli is who all of us have been saying he is. He eyes it cautiously, but reaches out and places his palm on mine. I shudder at the feel of his touch after eight long years of him being gone and feel the trickle of his grace as he searches through my memories.

  
Every milestone with Eli, the running, the hiding and the eventual immersion into the hunting life. Gabriel watches his son grow up through my eyes, from infant to grown man within a year. His heart breaks at the life that Eli and I have had to deal with, but even after he's done sifting through the past eight years, he doesn't remove his hand.

  
"We've gone through a lot, but we're here. And we are very much real, Gabriel. Eli _is. Your. Son_." I can't think of any other way to emphasize this but sometimes the archangel could be quite daft and emptyheaded despite being a celestial being. "I would never lie to you, feathers."

  
"You were so young, sweetheart. I'm-"*

  
I take his hand and put it over his mouth so he doesn't feel threatened by me doing it. "Don't you dare say sorry. We wouldn't be here, reuniting with you if it wasn't for the journey that we had to go on." I move my hand from his, but he clasps ours together to rest back on the tabletop. "There are bigger things to worry about right now than us, but after it all gets figured out, I'd like to see where this goes."

  
Gabriel's intelligent eyes shift from mine to Eli's. To anyone else, it'd look like Eli isn't expressing any emotion, but I know that there are too many for him to express at once. The tiniest 'v' between his brows, the unblinking stare he has pinned on his father, and the barely-there flare of his nostrils tell me he has many things to ask but doesn't know how to start and that he's quite pissed with Gabriel.

  
"My mother wasn't good enough for you to not come back to after playing dead but fucking porn stars were?" The chair Eli's in scrapes harshly against the hardwood floor and is knocked back when he rises to his feet. Simmering copper eyes meet mine, full of fury. "Sam I would've been fine with. But, _he_ doesn't deserve you." Eli puffs his chest out, shifts his shoulders and with an uncharacteristic flair, _flies_ off.

  
"Must get that from your side of the family," Dean chuckles, coming into the library. He gives a pointed look to mine and Gabriel's joined hands, sighs and shakes his head. "If you're still holding hands, he must've not told you what happened after he 'died'."

  
"He did," I lie, only to get Dean to back off. I already have one moody male to deal with. "It's been dealt with and we're going to move past it. I'll let all of you talk, I have to go calm my son down."

  
Sam pats my shoulder as I walk by, but regard Cas and Rowena with wariness as I leave them to track down Eli. He doesn't make it rather difficult since he leaves my door open and is pacing back and forth with his fists tucked into his arms across his chest. He doesn't look up when I lean against the doorjamb.

  
"You're going to wear a hole in the floor like that." He snorts and rolls his eyes. "I'm quite angry with him too. In fact, I'd like to take my hands, wrap them around his throat and treat him like Bart Simpson." I get half a smile at that one. "But, he _didn't know_ about you, Eli. Lucifer... He's not someone to mess around with. I'm sure whatever Gabriel had to do to stay safe was justified and whatever he went through before he came back to Sam and Dean probably didn't help make his guilt any better either. There's a lot he still has to tell me, to tell _us_ , so please give him a chance. You don't have to start calling him dad or anything like that. But please, allow him to explain more."

  
Eli stops pacing. His shoulders slump and he runs his hands through his hair.

  
"Can I punch him in the face?"

  
" _If_ he deserves it."

  
Eli smirks and crosses the short distance to hug me. I thought it was going to be harder than this for him to hear me out and to give Gabriel a chance, but then again, he does tend to take after me from time to time.

  
Sam and Dean are packing to go when we make it to them.

  
"We're grabbing Lucifer," Dean explains. "Need archangel grace to open the rift." Gabriel looks everywhere but at us. "When we get back, stay clear of him. Leave, stay in your rooms, the man cave, _wherever_. But, _do not_ go near him."

  
We nod and say our goodbyes, watching them leave. I don't want to be stuck in my room, and neither did Eli, so we head to the man cave. Sam sends a message saying that he'll let us know when we can come out. It's silent for a while despite the gaming noises going on in the background.

  
"I want to go with them."

  
I sigh, not surprised.

  
"If you want me to give Gabriel a chance, I need to go with him to make sure he comes back. I'm not trying to be brave, or stupid."

  
"How do you even know that Sam and Dean will want you to go?" When he doesn't say anything, I turn and narrow my eyes at him. "You already talked to them about it, didn't you?"

  
"Sam didn't think that it was a good idea at first because I'm unfamiliar with my powers, but then when Cas said that if I'm anything like Gabriel, that it all should come naturally. I've been playing around with them a little more since we've come ho- here, and it doesn't feel wrong. It's like flexing a muscle. I'm a hunter too. A half _angelic_ hunter."

  
I grin, and shake my head.

  
"If you do _everything_ that Sam and Dean say, fine. But, you will not leave Gabriel's side. I need you two to protect each other."

  
Eli grins and focuses back on the game. Hours pass like this until my phone dings with a message from Sam. They're back.

  
We don't leave the man cave like we were told, but Eli is chomping at the bite to get out. He doesn't want them to leave without him. Sam and Gabriel come for us, with Gabriel coming through the door first. Without thinking, moving on pure impulse and reflex, I rush to Gabriel and throw my arms around him. He hugs me back, putting his face in my neck and squeezes his me in his hold. When we part, I can see the old spark in the molten gold of Gabriel's eyes.

  
"I'm going with you," Eli speaks up. "Mom said it was okay."

  
Keep him safe and both of you come back to me, I pray to Gabriel.

  
"Stay in here," Gabriel murmurs. "I don't want my brother near you."

  
I let Gabriel go and hug Sam, before hugging Eli tightly. The trio says their goodbyes and heads out to retrieve their lost family, leaving me to wait in return.

  
I try continuing the video game, watching movies, reading and even the random puzzle. I check my phone every ten minutes, only furthering my insanity. Despite everyone's warnings, I venture out of the man cave. It's running low on food and drinks anyway. Avoiding where Lucifer and Rowena are supposed to be, I head to the kitchen to restock the man cave and to find something to do until they return. Turns out, I'm not the only one that has the same idea.

  
Rowena jumps nearly a foot in the air when she turns around and sees me a few feet away.

  
"You shouldn't sneak up on people like that!" she snaps.

  
"Didn't mean to." I start grabbing things from the cupboards to take with me. "I'll be out of your way soon."

  
She's quiet as she sips whatever is in her cup, watching me intently.

  
"He's quite the tenacious lover," she says quietly and grins with satisfaction when I stop in my tracks. "But, you already knew that."

  
I shake it off, not really knowing what point she's trying to make. I'm not in the mood for girl talk, and something nags at me until I realize why it's so odd that she's in here.

  
"Where's Lucifer?"

  
She pales considerably, which is impressive with how white she is already and sucks in a long breath.

  
"He... ticked me off and followed the Winchester's. I didn't mean to lose control! He got under my skin."

  
I don't blame her for that, but now my anxiety over my son and the rest of the group returning safely has tripled. I take the food and drinks, heading straight back to the man cave, but being confined in the area isn't helping. Without Lucifer as a threat inside the bunker, I head straight for the library and decide to wait for their return. I pray to God that He lets them all come back alive.

  
Rowena eventually joins me, her sharp eyes wandering over to the glowing bowl and floating portal strip every once in a while. I doze off occasionally but wake myself up so I'm alert when they start coming through. I should've been suspicious when Rowena pushes a cup my way, but thought nothing of it and take a long sip. I'm out a few minutes later.

  
~

  
Loud noises jerk me out my sleep as people start coming through the portal. Bright flashes make me flinch every time, but with each one, my son doesn't come through. There's a full crowd filling up the library rather quickly, but still no sign of anyone I know. A grizzled man comes through, followed by Mary, Cas, Jack, Eli, Dean, and Sam. My heart lurches as I see the portal begin to fade, but with a last-second flash, Gabriel comes through and the portal closes behind him. Eli heads straight for me, a little blood, dirt, and grime on him, and pulls me off my feet from his hug. I'm almost sobbing with relief, and eventually, I'm let go. Sam and Dean are next, and then I'm finally able to push through the throngs of people to get to Gabriel. There's no hesitation when I throw my arms around Gabriel and kiss him with all the passion and sorrow that's built up the past eight years. He returns the kiss eagerly, tangling his hands in my hair. When the hoots, hollers, and whistles start happening, we know it's time to separate.

  
"I think it's time we had that talk," I whisper to him, my forehead pressed against his.

  
"I agree. You, me and our son."

**Author's Note:**

> *Reader was eighteen when she had Eli


End file.
